Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My name is Steve Palmer. I've been with the Canadian Police Research Centre for 10 years. I started as director in 1998 and took over the position of executive director in 2004.
For 29 years now, CPRC has been providing leadership in the search for real-life solutions to a wide range of threats to the safety and security of communities and of the first responders who serve them. CPRC works through a collaborative model that brings together diverse groups from law enforcement, responder, and science and technology communities from across Canada and around the world.
We call this a network of technology partner associates, and the success of CPRC depends on these partnerships, which enable us to draw upon the knowledge and expertise of experts from local, provincial, national, and international law enforcement and other government agencies. We also work with a broad spectrum of industry partners, professional associations, universities, research groups, and more.
Through these partnerships CPRC contributes to the development, refinement, and testing of new products, tools, and technologies in real operational settings. The knowledge and results generated from CPRC studies provide the foundation for further advances in policy, procedures, and technology.
It is important to note that CPRC itself does not develop policies and procedures. The work it does is intended to provide tools, information, and recommendations to be taken into consideration by the Canadian police community in the review or development of training programs, policies, and procedures. It strives to provide a central and objective source of knowledge on issues of interest to the police community and other first responders, including but not limited to conducted energy devices, better known as tasers.
Today I would like to take a few minutes to give you an overview of a study that was published in August 2005. I will also provide you with a brief outline of the study we are currently undertaking on behalf of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
In August 2004 the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, or CACP, requested that we conduct a thorough review of the existing research and data available on tasers and provide a national perspective on the safety and use of these devices. We worked closely with representatives from the Victoria Police Department who at the same time were also studying tasers on behalf of the British Columbia Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. We also consulted with our U.S. and U.K. counterparts, who were in the process of studying the use of tasers at the same time.
For the purpose of the 2005 study we reviewed research and data associated with the use of the taser M-26 and X-26, focusing on three areas: first, medical safety; second, policy considerations surrounding police conducted energy devices operation; and finally, excited delirium syndrome.
A steering committee was appointed to guide our activities and ensure appropriate representation from the community. Membership included medical professionals, police officers, police trainers, policy analysts, and other stakeholder representatives. Close to 100 sources were reviewed, providing a thorough analysis of the existing data on tasers and excited delirium syndrome in Canada. It was concluded that conducted energy devices are effective law enforcement tools with a low risk of harm to the subject when used appropriately.
Available research at the time also indicated that there existed no definitive research or evidence linking the use of tasers to death, but that excited delirium was gaining credibility as a main contributor to deaths proximal to taser use.
Based on the material reviewed, CPRC formulated the following recommendations for the police community to take into consideration.
It became apparent that there are no scientifically tested, independently verified, and globally accepted safety parameters for the use of tasers, meaning that police services are completely reliant on manufacturer claims regarding the safety of the product. CPRC recommended that further work is needed for the national coordination of tasers and other less lethal technologies' issues and testing.
Our review also indicated that more research is needed on the existence and nature of excited delirium and how people suffering from this condition can be best subdued by police to expedite medical treatment.
We also concluded there is a lack of scientific information on death proximal to restraint and recommended that a national epidemiological study of individuals resisting arrest be conducted to gather data on all aspects of these subjects and those dying in police custody. This recommendation is what led to the CACP requesting the restraint study, which was announced in November 2007.
Restraint is one of the three components of our most recent study of tasers. The other two components are to conduct an update of the 2005 report and to look at ways of creating a more centralized approach to evaluating evolving taser technology and encouraging information sharing on tasers.
As part of the restraint study, we are reviewing a variety of documents, such as police reports, ambulance route sheets, and coroners' reports, to identify and evaluate the situational and individual characteristics of persons who resist police interaction and undergo police restraint, as well as to look at the incidence of subject death and the relationship between varying methods of restraint and the risk of death in the restrained subject.
As part of the update of the 2005 report, CPRC is reviewing the expanded body of research that has become available since 2005. Project methodology and structure is similar to that used to produce the 2005 report. The CPRC is working in collaboration with the research community, end users, and other stakeholders, and a working group has been established. Experts from the scientific, medical, and operational communities will again be consulted for their objective analysis.
A steering committee will be established to guide activities and assure appropriate representation from the community. Membership will include medical professionals, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations, emergency responder organizations, police oversight bodies, and relevant international organizations. CPRC is also collaborating with experts who have participated in other studies and reviews of tasers nationally and internationally.
CPRC is involved in a number of other taser-related initiatives. We are currently waiting for final approval of a joint research project with the United Kingdom Home Office Scientific Development Branch and the United States National Institute of Justice. The aim of the project is to study and evaluate the new extended range wireless projectile being developed by Taser International to ensure it meets or exceeds the necessary safety standards for use in law enforcement.
CPRC is keeping an eye on the taser cam issue and is considering conducting an independent study into the use of these devices in Canada. A taser cam is a weapons-mounted audio and video recording device that is designed to capture video footage of use of force incidents when taser is deployed.
We are also collaborating with federal, provincial, and municipal agencies to determine the level of interest for a research project that would review the different use of force frameworks being used by the police services across Canada to move towards one consolidated, nationally accepted use of force framework.
Finally, CPRC is currently establishing test-based lines for tasers, and we will begin testing weapons for police services this spring.
The work we do in collaboration with our network of technology partner associates generates important data that can assist decision-makers in developing relevant policy, procedures, or training programs. Building on 29 years of experience, CPRC will continue to build partnerships and draw upon the rich knowledge and expertise found here and abroad to support the law enforcement and responder community in Canada.
Thank you.